Friends visit memorial site for 9-year-old girl killed near Rancho Cucamonga school

A family prays at the memorial site for Ashlyn Gardner on East Ave. at Banyan Street in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday. A 9-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle and died Thursday while crossing the street with her younger brother.
(Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

Leah Ruiz, 9, who was visiting the site with her grandmother, said Ashlyn — a third-grader — was her best friend and had gone to school with her since kindergarten. Leah said she played with Ashlyn during recess and lunch, and that her friend liked to dance and sing.

“It’s sad, but she’s still my best friend,” Leah said. Her grandmother, Olivia Duarte, of Fontana, said Leah had trouble sleeping Wednesday night.

Thursday, several parents, students and residents went to the site to leave messages, light candles and leave stuffed animals. Heath Pennebaker, the husband of a second grade teacher at Solorio Elementary School, and his daughter Kayla Pennebaker left a small Christmas tree with ornaments at the memorial site.

Some visitors at the memorial expressed concern over the heavy traffic in the area and narrow roads. Some residents said they were hoping there could be more development on nearby Wilson Avenue to enable better traffic flow.

The intersection where the incident took place is located in front of the Etiwanda School District offices, and is a short distance from Etiwanda Colony Elementary School to the west, and Summit Intermediate School to the east on Banyan Street.

Ashlyn and Landon were crossing East Avenue at Banyon Street around 3 p.m. after leaving Etiwanda Colony. Nevada resident Nelson Allen Broedling, 69, made a left turn in a 2000 Ford F350 to head south on East but did not see the children and struck them, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department news release.

The children were taken to San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland where the girl was pronounced dead on arrival. The brother was being treated for moderate injuries and was expected to recover, authorities said.

Kristi Zimmer, a parent at the scene Thursday, said she had called 911, and immediately rushed to where Ashlyn was hit and saw her lying in the street. She said a nurse, perhaps a parent, appeared to be at Ashlyn’s side.

Paramedics were tending to Landon and several of the teachers, including Smith, had formed a prayer circle.

“On the radio, I had heard that a child had been hit at the intersection, so I got some other teachers and we just went down to the site and spontaneously we gathered and we formed a circle and the circle grew larger and larger until there were about 20 people in the prayer circle, saying prayers one by one,” Smith said. “There were people of all faiths. Ashlyn was each of our daughters, each of our grandaughters, each of our neighbors, and together in solidarity we prayed for Ashlyn and Landon.”

Smith said she saw the man who had driven the truck, sitting on the curb, emotionally shattered after what had happened.

“He was sitting off to the side,” Smith said. “He was completely devastated, shoulders down.”

Shawn Judson, the superintendent of the Etiwanda School District, said the district has been in contact with the Sheriff’s Department, which patrols the area, and they are going to be discussing safety for schoolchildren around the area.

Counseling services were provided for students at Etiwanda Colony and Summit Intermediate schools on Thursday.

“It’s just a tragically sad day for all of us to lose a youngster,” Judson said. “The whole school community is hurting.”

Teachers asked younger students to draw a favorite memory they had of Ashlyn. Older students wrote letters to her family.

“She was artistic,” Smith said. “Our students had the chance to write down a favorite memory of Ashlyn’s or draw a picture, or a memory of a time they played together. Older students were writing letters to the family. Some of the letters read that Ashlyn was so kind and good to all. She never had a negative word to say. She was just an angel.”

The children’s grandparents, Jonathan and Renee Starr of Covina, went to the scene of the accident Wednesday evening and thanked a group of about 20 people for setting up a candlelight vigil.

Jonathan Starr said Thursday that the family just wants to be alone at this time. A funeral for Ashlyn is planned for Dec. 14. He expressed empathy for the driver of the truck.

“To hit a child and carry that for the rest of your life, that’s tough,” Starr said. “Our heart goes out to (the driver).”

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jodi Miller said the department has provided additional traffic patrol for the safety of children around the school for Thursday and today.

Miller said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The sheriff’s Major Accident Investigation Team is trying to determine the cause of the crash and is looking for witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff’s Deputy Robert Baxter or sheriff’s Sgt. Phill Dupper at 909-477-2800 or 909-477-2817.